The idea of rework in production is very well established. We build product, test it, and return a certain percentage for re work if it isn’t acceptable. The idea of doing something right the first time is actually quite foreign to many US based businesses. Our focus on a continuous improvement philosophy without regard to the quality of the product has damaged our credibility in the marketplace.
Good project management solutions will work to drive the re work shop and mentality out of the business. By designing processes that are error proofed, we can effectively lower the inspection rate and rework. This may require sub assembly testing to identify defects in parts and processes before product is actually made. Out of spec should be the catalyst for change in any forward thinking business.
Doing it right doesn’t mean we should not make changes once the product or process is idealized. Rather, the process should be flexible enough for the business to adapt to the changing market conditions as noted in a previous rule.
Once again the project manager is challenged to drive the right behavior in the company. At issue here is that the costs of poor quality increase by several orders of magnitude as a product continues to be created. A defect is easier and cheaper to fix at the design level than at the manufacturing floor. And cheaper to fix in manufacturing before a customer get it and the support issues ensue. The problem for even the best project manager is that the cost to fix a problem is clearly seen while the future cost to fix the problem can be ignored or minimized by management- at least for awhile